The Fall of Azeroth
by Fenrir396
Summary: A kingdom falls, the world not so far behind it, is there any hope?


* * *

**Author's Note**

Alright, first of all I'm very novice of a writer but I'm working my way through Warcraft III and trying to grind the path to 70 but I've gone over most of the lore with my friends and I think I know everything I need for this story (though please, don't hesitate to correct me). Anyways, I need to practice writing somehow and critique always helps, I also think that if I pull the story off just right it could be pretty damn good. Anyways, try to enjoy.

* * *

**The Fall of a Kingdom**

A raging fire, people screaming, I dream of this so often that I that I thought I was still asleep. How wrong I was. But I was only a young Paladin, what did I know? It was when the explosions started that I realized that this was no dream. But even then I continued to lie there in bed, my eyes screwed shut. The great and mighty Stormwind couldn't be under attack... could it? It was not until I felt flames licking my face, the burn they left, that I finally leaped to my feet. Where was I...? I racked my brain, trying to remember, it had been such a nice sleep... My name... it was... Alandar? A generic name yes, but... it was then that I noticed a powerful burning sensation in my foot. I looked down and gave out a strangled yell. My foot was on fire, the whole inn was on fire! I panicked and stepped on the flame. I then relied on his instinct and dove out the window hitting the cobbled street with a loud thump. I had rented a room in the second floor after a long day of questing, there had then been a celebration because one of his fellow Paladins had been recruited to go through the portal, to the Outlands. It all came rushing back to me right then, but I did not have much time to mull things over. I could hear unified marching, the clacking of meat wagons and the clacking of a single horse's hooves, the Scourge.

My instinct told me to stand and fight, but my brain forced me to realize the stark truth, I was alone and unarmed against the Scourge. I had even taken off the dagger I wore at all times for protection in my drunken stupor. After cursing myself and vowing to quit drinking I turned and ran, and if I had a tail it would surely be between my legs, I had never felt such shame. As soon as the water that flowed through the city was in sight I jumped for it, not bothering to dive or use any sort of grace, hitting hard in a belly flop. The cold water stung my skin, which was burned from the flames.

My sense was dulled from the pain but I knew that I still had to get out. Screams were still erupting from all over, I had to get out. I broke into a quick stroke and hurried for main gate. I heard the battle shouts of Dwarven merchants, shrieks of pain from small children, and the dying cries of my friends. I couldn't tell if I was crying or it was just the water running down my face, or both. I climbed the small incline at the end of the valley of honor and was faced with my way out, the main gate. I broke into a run so desperate that I didn't think I would ever be able to stop. I ran on, barely noticed that I was surrounded by fleeing mobs and attacking Scourge. I ran into the woods and found my feet taking me to the abbey where my training had first started. The large wall that separated the abbey from the rest of the forest was ahead, but as soon as it was in sight I knew that something was horribly wrong.

Two guards were usually guarding the entrance but they were both gone, that wasn't so strange seeing as they were being attacked, but there was a large pool of blood, scraps of flesh, and a full suit of armor without a wearer. It looked as if they had been eaten. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized what we were up against. Our enemy was not the local nuisances, not pirates, raiders, or Horde, were fighting death and all it's horrors. I knew that seeing the rest of the abbey would only add to my stress, no doubt that even the small brown kobolds would have been consumed and I knew that they would have fought to their deaths just for the candle on their pointed heads.. I swallowed my fear and thrust on the dead guard's armor, his sword, and his shield. Or maybe it was a her? No, the armor was a perfect fit, but what did it matter anyway? Everything. One life of his comrades mattered everything to him now, and his comrades were dying muttered a quick prayer and apologized to the light for my cowardice and head back towards not Stormwind, but Goldshire, if it still stood then I might be able to make some kind of difference.

As I reached the outskirts of the village things weren't looking good. A think plum of smoke was rising from the village, but this only made me run faster. I felt a chill run down my spine when I saw that the ground under me had already been turned into plague land, sometimes known as Blight, but the village still stood. I rushed into the thick of the fire and flying dust to see just how grim the situation was. At least sixty Skeletal Warriors were attacking and three Abominations trailed behind them with maybe ten ghouls at the front line. The Abominations were large meshes of flesh torn from other bodies, with a stench so terrible it could be seen. The ghouls on the other hand were simply dead bodies raised to fight for the Scourge. There were a group of only thirty or so guards defending the village, most of them looked like peasants in their fathers' old armor.

I had come up behind the army, I had to do something. I let the light through through my very veins and yelled out a battle cry, "For the light!" I then jumped onto the Abomination and in mid-jump I stuck my sword into it's back, then vaulting myself over it's disgusting excuse of a body. The Abomination had moved up to the side of the battle, closing in on the Alliance guards, so that I landed right at the edge of their forces. The Abomination gave a grunt and looked behind itself before it noticed me. The closest guard acknowledged my presence with a nod and the forces spread out into a think horseshoe as the Scourge began to close in. The Skeletal Warriors were falling fast but the Ghouls were a bigger problem, though there were less of them, but somehow we were managing to defend ourselves. I, two other warriors, and a Priest were left to face with the closest Abomination. He had a stupid smile on his face as he swung his club down at us. He aimed for me specifically and I quickly raised my shield above my head to try to block it. It was a bad move, left me completely open on all other sides, but the rest of the Scourge were occupied, the Abomination was our only attacker.

The club hit my shield hard and I thought I heard something in my arm crack, but my strength held. Sweat was pouring down my face and the unnaturally thick dust was blocking my vision. One of the others attacked the creature, sticking his blade through the gaping hole in it's stomach. I quickly regained my battle stance and followed up his attack with a slash across the thing's chest. It gave a roar and swung it's club in a wide arc. The more experienced warrior ducked out of the way but I wasn't quick enough, the club hit my across my hip and swung me at least five meters to the side. I lay face down in the destroyed land, my vision fading. I hadn't come so far just to get knocked down like a peg, I had come to help save my people. I felt the light flow through me and my strength was restored, the Priest had healed me. I wasn't good as new but I could still fight.

I climbed to my feet and saw that I was now faced with three ghouls. One of them took a swipe at me with it's claws and I blocked at it with my shield, another jabbed at me through a whole, slashing across my skin so deep that it cut all the way to my ribs. I couldn't take any more abuse, I felt the Abominations shadow back over me, I was sandwiched in. As one last desperate move I gripped my sword tightly and swerved around cutting the Abomination's head right off. It's club fell to the ground and the tank sized body, sewn together from the flesh of the dead fell on top of me with a thud The ghouls leaped on my body and began eating my alive. First they stripped me of my armor, then my flesh, I was already dead when my soul was freed of it's tiny prison.


End file.
